The Strain Recap S01E03 Gone Smooth

Voldemort looks himself over in the mirror and he’s not
unhappy with what he sees, but he’s about to make some changes. A few
prosthetics here, some make up there, and well, Thomas looks more like himself.
Soon the time for this little charade will be over, and victory will be his.

Ephraim and Nora head to the director. He knows that the
bodies are gone, but not where the bodies have gone. Everett is almost too
happy to wash his hands of the whole problem, even though all involved know
that the group on the plane did not die of carbon monoxide poisoning, and
Everett reminds them that they no longer have any authority in the matter
having been relieved of duty. Everett tells Jim that the press gets nothing,
that they get no news from them. It is no longer about disease control but
about damage control.

Jim worries over just what he has done. He places a call
over to StoneHeart to chat.

Flatbush, Brooklyn. One of the survivors are awoken by his
dog. He stumbles out of bed. His eyes are bloodshot, and his front teeth are
bleeding. The press sit outside of the house. His wife sends the children away
from the windows. The phone is off the hook because of all the ringing. She
worries what if he has to go back to the hospital, that he’ll need to be
quarantined. He assures her that he’ll be fine. She knew he should not have
gone on the trip, and Ann Marie keeps going on and on. She mentions that one of
the dogs came back hurt, and the noise in Ansel’s head gets louder. She sends
him back up to bed.

At the Health Department, the secretary watches the airplane
coverage. Fet notices that there is a week’s worth of rat calls that have all
come in today. His boss warns him to go to the mayor’s office first and to be
on his best behavior.

Redfern’s diagnosis continues. There’s all sort of theories
on what it is, but Eph tells them that it’s a nasty blood worm. A protocol for
treatment is being formulated. Redfern wonders if he’s going to die. Eph thinks
they can find the cure, he promises to make him better. Nora tells him that he
can’t make promises like that, but he has nothing but hope to offer the man.
His custody hearing starts soon, so its up to Nora to follow up with the other
survivors. Nora suggests that she also speak with Abraham, since he seemed to
know about the situation.

Jim is at the StoneHeart Group meeting with Thomas, he’s
come to meet with Craig, but Craig is not available. Jim isn’t familiar with
Thomas. Thomas figures that he’s there about the airplane box, but Jim feigns
no knowledge at first of what Thomas is speaking of. He was asked to allow a
piece of medical cargo through and Thomas has the rest of the funds for his
favor. Jim doesn’t take the money, instead he asks what was in the box, and
where the corpses have gone. Thomas doesn’t answer, and Jim thinks that he
should go to the authorities when Thomas mentions Jim’s sick wife. She has
cancer, and she was denied into a special program. The StoneHeart has a long
reach, and they can help her get into the trial. Jim accepts the money, telling
him that he’s only doing this to pay for her treatment. Thomas makes it clear
that Jim is now is bitch, and he’ll bark when he’s asked to.

Abraham’s hearing begins. The judge asks what he was doing
at the airport, and he claims he saw something on television, and he’s unsure
why he went, he’s old. The judge asks about next of kin, which he has none. The
charge of trespassing is of little worry, but the judge is concerned about the
giant sword in his cane. Abraham promises to have the hardware removed, and the
judge allows him to go. Nora stops Abraham outside, asking how much of the
doddering old man was an act. She knows that he’s upset, but not about what she
thinks. He’s mad because the bodies are missing, but he knows where the bodies
are going. She asks if the military is covering it up. It’s nothing so simple
as that. Being good isn’t enough, and he warns that they need to find and destroy
all of the bodies and everyone that has come into contact with them. Nora
hesitates. She’s useless to him, she isn’t ready.

Queens Family Court. The judge faces Zachary, and asks him
what he thinks will be the best solution for him. He knows his parents want
what’s best for him. He says that he thinks his dad should get 1-2 weekends a
month, because he knows that his dad has a super important job, and he wouldn’t
want him to worry about missing dates. This is not what Ephraim wants, he
wanted joint custody. Kelly says nothing. Zach says that he wants what is best
for his dad, that’s all. Eph is clearly upset over the order. After Kelly goes
to him to see if he’s okay. Zach still doesn’t know that he’s the most
important thing to him. Kelly tells him that saying it isn’t the same as
proving it. She tells him that he can see his son whenever he wants, with a
little notice. He thinks she’s gloating, but she points out that their son just
had to choose between them, and he chose what was best for Eph, not for himself.

Gabriel watches his band rehearse, but he doesn’t feel up to
participating. Between the plane, and biting the girl, Gabriel is hotter than
ever, Ruby tells him, but he still can’t bring himself to sing.

Ephraim pays Mr. Arnell a visit. The door is open, and he
walks in, but the house is quiet. Ephraim sees a “pilot” pin on the counter as
he continues to look for Mr. Arnell. Eph heads upstairs and see a pink tinged
bathtub of water, and a clump of hair, but no signs of Emma or her father. He
gets a call from Norm, asking if any of the personal affects have been released
to the next of kin yet. He says something that sends Ephraim running, and Eph
never sees Emma in the shadows.

Health Inspector Fet is at the mayor’s apartment. A rat bit
his daughter in the face, and he wants it caught and taken care of. Fet starts
his rat hunt. There’s some cursing, and he comes out with a bag containing a
rat. Fet tells him that rats also like the cigars when he notices the mayor
smoking a Cuban. After a little lecture of cigars, and the neighborhood Fet is
off, but outside he spots a rat. He follows it and notices rats pouring out of
the sewer, they look like they’re getting out of dodge.

Jim returns home to his wife. Sylvia tells him that Stanford
called, and she has been admitted to the trial, she’s one of the lucky 100. She
hugs him, and he realizes the deal with the devil was really made.

Ansel’s german shepherd barks at him. The buzzing in his
ears gets louder. He goes into the fridge and spots a raw steak. He drinks the
blood straight out of the bottom of the pan. His wife spies his odd behavior.

Gabriel’s personal doctor prescribes him a whole medley of
drugs for his performance issues. He asks if he has any issues beside the voice
in his head, and there is one. The doctor turns almost green looking at
Gabriel’s crotch, which “doesn’t look good.” A doctor should never look in that
region and make that statement, and he suggests that someone drive him to a
hospital, but Gabriel isn’t really interested in being a youtube sensation for
that. The doc suggests a urologist.

Abraham gets the airline manifest from a hacker. She asks
why he wants the list, and he claims its so that he can pay respect to their
families, aka hack them to bits with his giants sword. She takes her prize and
runs out, appeased with the answer.

Redfern’s prognosis remains bleak. He’s rapidly declining at
an unprecedented rate. Redfern says he’s here. Nora scans him with a UV light,
and the worms are swirling under his skin, but they aren’t sure what happening.

Zach watches news footage on his ipad when he hears a noise
downstairs. He heads down, thinking that its his mother. He finds Kelly looking
at old family photos and crying. He sits outside with her.

Regis Air Corp headquarters. Thomas pays the president a
visit, asks if he would like to write a note of any regrets, sorrows. He holds
a gun on him, but only so that he can put it in his hand and pull the trigger
to make it look like the man committed suicide.

Gabriel comes out all painted up. He pulls out a contact,
and his eye beneath is beyond bloodshot. He removes his wig, and he’s
practically bald beneath, with more patches of hair coming out in his hands.
Gabriel is a mess, and no longer a hot one. He removes his war paint. Scratching,
he goes to take a leak, and his dick falls off. I’ve heard of bad days, but
that pretty much takes the cake. He looks like a poor ken doll.

Jim finally shows up. Eph and Nora cannot find any of the
other three survivors, and Redfern is going into sugery. Jim tells them that
his wife has been accepted into the trial program. Finally some good news. A
nurse rushes in, Redfern is gone. He was left alone for but seconds and now
he’s vanished. The three split up to find Redfern. Jim spots him in the kitchen
in the basement. He’s going to town on some blood bags when he sees Jim. He
attacks Jim and Nora arrives. Redfern goes after her, throwing her. Ephraim
arrives on scene. Redfern attack him with his throat tentacle. Eph manages to
beat him back, kills him with a fire extinguisher. That’s one way to put your
anger issues to good use.